Arsenal seven points clear at top after Ramsey nets double on return to Cardiff

Everton 4 (Deulofeu, Coleman, Oviedo, Lukaku) Stoke 0 FT

Everton move fourth after convincing home victory against Stoke

Norwich 1 (Hooper) Crystal Palace 0 FT

First half Hooper goal inflicts defeat on Tony Pulis in his first game as Crystal Palace boss

West Ham 3 (Diame, C. Cole, J. Cole) Fulham 0 FT

Huge pressure on Martin Jol after his Fulham side fall to three second half goals at West Ham

Newcastle 2 (Gouffran, Sissoko) West Brom 1 (Brunt) FT

Sissoko stunner helps Newcastle to fourth straight win and fifth in the table

11/30/2013 1:52:35 PM

3rd & 7 37yd

3rd & 7 37yd

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Welcome to The Independent's live coverage of today's Premier League action. We have five games kicking-off at three o'clock including the league leaders Arsenal, who head to Cardiff, Tony Pulis' first game as Crystal Palace manager at Norwich and the all-pressure clash at the bottom between Sam Allardyce's West Ham and Martin Jol's Fulham. There's also Aston Villa versus Sunderland and Everton against Stoke before tonight's teatime clash at St James' Park between Newcastle and West Brom. Stay with us for all the news and scores.

11/30/2013 2:10:00 PM

First it was a two-horse race, then there was a big three. Soon it became four before Manchester City’s rise to prominence made it a top five in the top flight, but now there’s enough of an argument to suggest that Tottenham, Everton and Southampton deserve their place among an elite that consists of eight sides that you’d want your side to avoid each weekend.

Today, however, is all about the rest of the Premier League with nine of the ten sides in the lower half of the table in action. We may only be a third of the way through the season, but with some key fixtures for those threatened by relegation, it could be an important afternoon at the bottom.

11/30/2013 2:16:33 PM

A year ago it was Mark Hughes' Queens Park Rangers and Nigel Adkins' Southampton who competed in the Premier League's El Sackio clash. Although both managers soon departed, one of those clubs is now playing their football in the Championship while the other has their eyes on Europe.

This afternoon, there's a London derby at Upton Park where both Sam Allardyce and Martin Jol will be feeling the heat...

Gloom in the east, doom in the west. Or, to put it another way, a couple of ‘hams’ in a pickle. This afternoon Fulham cross the capital to take on West Ham at Upton Park in what has become a time of anxious uncertainty for both. There is one sure thing about Saturday, though: by tea-time one side will have been booed off.

Aaron Ramsey returns to his first club Cardiff this afternoon. The Welshman has made headlines with his goalscoring this season, but Arsene Wenger may have a point when he says the 22-year-old can be the complete midfielder...

Cardiff 0 Arsenal 0: It's already Jack Wilshere's best ever goalscoring season, and he nearly nets again in the opening minutes at Cardiff. His curled effort beats David Marshall, but crashes against the crossbar.

11/30/2013 3:03:28 PM

There's not much going on inside Martin Jol's thought bubble this afternoon.

11/30/2013 3:08:32 PM

Cardiff 0 Arsenal 0: Per Mertesacker is down, bloodied and receiving treatment after clashing heads with teammate Bacary Sagna. The big German is fit to continue, but will have to leave the pitch to change his shirt first. What would Terry Butcher and Paul Ince think?

11/30/2013 3:12:01 PM

Norwich 0 Crystal Palace 0: Goal-line technology in use at Carrow Road! Johan Elmander back-heels Nathan Redmond's free-kick onto the bar and down. The home side appeal for the goal, but referee Chris Foy uses Hawkeye, signals no goal and saves Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy a difficult evening on Twitter.

11/30/2013 3:14:57 PM

Cardiff 0 Arsenal 0: PLAY TO THE WHISTLE!! Olivier Giroud is sent through on goal, but convinces himself he is offside despite a lack of linesman's flag and referee's whistle. He dallies, refuses to shoot and is eventually dispossessed. Sacré bleu!

11/30/2013 3:17:22 PM

I bet this lad is glad to get away from the wife and kid for the afternoon...

Twenty-five minutes in and we still have no goals in this afternoon's five Premier League games - and remember this is with the defences of West Ham, Fulham, Norwich, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Sunderland in action.

11/30/2013 3:27:02 PM

GOAL! Cardiff 0 Arsenal 1: The leaders are ahead and who else could it be on his return to Cardiff other than Aaron Ramsey?! A lovely ball is whipped in from the left by Mesut Ozil, but the Welsh midfielder still has much to do, but how he does it. It's a wonderful header that loops over Marshall and brings no celebration from the goalscorer; one of the few occasions when such actions should be allowed.

11/30/2013 3:29:39 PM

GOAL! Norwich 1 Crystal Palace 0: Norwich are ahead courtesy of Gary Hooper's fourth goal for the club. Elmander and Wes Hoolahan combine to set up the striker six yards out, and he calmly tucks the ball home. It's the Canaries first goal in the opening 45 minutes of a game at Carrow Road this season.

Aston Villa 0 Sunderland 0: The visitors are enjoying their trip to Villa Park much more than their last one back in April when they were beaten 6-1, but the game remains goalless. Gus Poyet's side have had a goal by former Villa man Craig Gardner correctly ruled out for offside, a penalty appeal for handball turned down and a glaring miss by Emanuele Giaccherini all in the past few minutes.

11/30/2013 3:45:03 PM

GOAL! Everton 1 Stoke 0: Gerry's done it! Everton had bossed the game without reward but their head moments before half-time thanks to Gerard Deulofeu who starts and finishes the move. Steven Pienaar and Gareth Barry are both involved in setting up the Spaniard who fires home at the near post.

11/30/2013 3:45:18 PM

Half-time - West Ham 0 Fulham 0:

11/30/2013 3:49:19 PM

Half-time - Cardiff 0 Arsenal 1:

11/30/2013 3:49:57 PM

Half-time - Norwich 1 Crystal Palace 0:

11/30/2013 3:50:53 PM

Half-time - Aston Villa 0 Sunderland 0:

11/30/2013 3:50:56 PM

Half-time - Everton 1 Stoke 0:

11/30/2013 3:51:10 PM

As wild as celebrations got for Aaron Ramsey after he opened the scoring at former club Cardiff.

As the second halves get underway, I realise that I currently can't think of another word for underway...

11/30/2013 4:04:02 PM

GOAL! West Ham 1 Fulham 0: Nothing goes for you when you're at the bottom - except when you're playing a side even lower. West Ham are ahead and there's a huge slice of good fortune about their goal as Mohamed Diame's shot from distance takes a huge deflection off Fernando Amorebieta, wrong foots Maarten Stekelenburg and ends up in the middle of the Fulham net.

11/30/2013 4:05:05 PM

GOAL! Everton 2 Stoke 0: With no Leighton Baines today, it's up to Everton's other attacking full-back to double the home side's lead at Goodison Park. Seamus Coleman finds himself with the ball in the box from Deulofeu's centre and improvises with his left foot to lift over Asmir Begovic.

11/30/2013 4:08:20 PM

Cardiff 0 Arsenal 1: Wojciech Szczęsny keeps Arsenal's one-goal lead in tact as he tips Frazier Campbell's header away for a corner, after the striker has risen above Laurent Koscielny. It's got the home fans on their feet.

11/30/2013 4:14:39 PM

GOAL! Everton 3 Stoke 0: And now the other full-back has got in on the act! Bryan Oviedo has lined up at left-back in Baines' absence today and he's put the game beyond doubt now with an excellent strike from outside the box that flies in off the post.

11/30/2013 4:15:13 PM

Norwich 1 Crystal Palace 0: Palace are growing in confidence in Tony Pulis' first game in charge of the club and they've gone close to an equaliser. Dean Moxey burst down the left and his cross was nearly diverted into his own net by Norwich defender Sébastien Bassong.

West Ham 1 Fulham 0: The Cottagers are the latest side to go close to an equaliser. West Ham dally in defence and allow Bryan Ruiz to steal in to set up Patjim Kasami, but the Swiss midfielder's low strike from distance whistles past the post.

11/30/2013 4:27:20 PM

Aston Villa 0 Sunderland 0: The deadlock is nearly broken at Villa Park, but Fabio Borini's header come back off the crossbar. It sparks Paul Lambert into a double substitution that sees Marc Albrighton and Aleksandar Tonev enter proceedings.

11/30/2013 4:30:20 PM

Seamus Coleman looks delighted after scoring Everton's second goal - but that could change once Romelu Lukaku catches up with him to celebrate.

11/30/2013 4:32:18 PM

GOAL! Everton 4 Stoke 0: Romelu Lukaku shows that Everton's forwards can score too! The big Belgian converts from close range after excellent work once more from Oviedo on the left flank. It's Lukaku's last act for the afternoon as he is replaced by Nikica Jelavić, and it's an excellent afternoon's work for Everton.

11/30/2013 4:35:13 PM

GOAL! West Ham 2 Fulham 0: Carlton Cole has been on the pitch for less than 60 seconds and he's already ensured a crucial three points for West Ham. The big striker slid home from just a few yards after a teasing ball played in from the right.

Some rare excitement for Fulham fans comes in the form of another substitution. Young hotshot Moussa Dembele is on for his debut.

11/30/2013 4:40:16 PM

If West Ham are Fulham's bogey team, then Carlton Cole is very much the bogeyman...

GOAL! Cardiff 0 Arsenal 2: Arsenal will be seven points clear at the top of the Premier League tonight, and the points have been sealed by an unlikely source in Mathieu Flamini. Ozil has his second assist of the afternoon, sliding in the Frenchman, who fires into the roof of the net in the most emphatic fashion.

11/30/2013 4:46:47 PM

GOAL! West Ham 3 Fulham 0: It's a copy and paste job for matters at Upton Park. Cole. Off the bench. Scores. This time, however, it's Joe who has put some gloss on the scoreline, cutting inside within the box and firing past a wrong-footed Stekelenburg. Will Martin Jol be in charge of Fulham to face Tottenham on Wednesday evening? Surely not.